The Fire Eater: Poems (Volume 10)

The TRP Chapbook Series

by José Hernández Díaz

Surreal, playful, and always poignant, the prose poems in Jose Hernandez Diaz’s masterful debut chapbook introduce us to a mime, a skeleton, and the man in the Pink Floyd t-shirt, all of whom explore their inner selves in Hernandez Diaz’s startling and spare style. With nods to Russell Edson and the surrealists, Hernandez Diaz explores the ordinary and the not-so-ordinary occurrences of life, set against the backdrop of the moon, and the poet’s native Los Angeles.

The TRP Chapbook Series

Genres: Poetry

54 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2020

Reviews

[Benjamin Niespodziany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tiny fables blending magic with reality, the surreal with the routine. Skeletons and mimes and a bush that turns you to ash or water, depending on the color of the rose. There’s a hole to Hell. There’s an astronaut party. It's all very Californian. It’s all very Hernández Díaz. The Fire Eater is a fine addition to the legacy of the prose poem and the poetic parable. Somewhere atop a cloud made of cardboard and paint, James Tate and Russell Edson are raising their pints.

[CeCe Valdez-Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each poem was like a little journey that I was so excited to embark on without knowing where it’ll even take me. Each one, unique and adventurous, and full of curiosities that never led me astray. I pick this book up when I’m feeling stagnant...and I dedicate myself to the poem I open up to in that moment. It’s beautiful. I love it.

[Jacob Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this collection wrong. I had come out of another poetry book, and I was not prepared for The Fire Eater. Consequently, I wasn't getting into it. After reading the first four or five poems, I set the book down and came back to it with a clear head a few days later.

And when I did, what an incredible experience. This is one of those styles in which you must not confuse straightforward sentences with superficiality. This was my problem. Instead, in the right headspace, I laughed, sat in wonder, invested in characters such as the skeleton and the man in the Pink Floyd shirt. The language, sure, it's simple in the sense that you don't find extravagant diction, but when you walk the streets of South California with these personalities, those would be the wrong words to describe what is happening and what they are feeling.

It's a remarkable book full of a thick sense of place. This was my favorite part of The Fire Eater. While the people are fantastic, it's the places that they walk, the memories and history embedded in their surroundings that ground this collection in a specific version of Southern California that I found to be endearing, and I felt privileged to visit through the people presented in the book.

[Lorinda Toledo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem of a collection. Hernandez’s prose poems are richly layered, yet contain a sense of whimsy, even comedy at times. L.A. as a setting is often conjured (mostly indirectly) yet these poems transcend time and space. I love the way they make me see the world, and myself, in a new way—they almost feel allegorical at times. Swipe right to get a taste by reading the title poem, and consider ordering a copy to support the work of this brilliant poet. (And what a great cover image!)

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reinventing the prose poem, Diaz has his way with reality— you never know if the man in the Pink Floyd shirt is on your same Earth when you start reading the poem or if he is in some alternative reality. Then you’re done and it’s onto the next one. Grounded but imaginative—deadpan but dead serious. This chap is a delight, and you should get yourself a copy.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed these prose poems tremendously. Diaz has a voice for the people. His themes and stories encompassed the metaphor of the poet for me. The saxophone stories about artists evoked the Latin writers with the use of magic realism throughout. Marquez swept through the pages. It was an extraordinary book of poetry. Unique and admirable. A must read.

[Miguel Vega · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teetering between 3-4. Love the way they were written; I feel like there was a "point" with several of these that I missed, but I did love their sequencing, and how off they were.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a joy and a wonder. Weird and touching. Simple and deep. I don’t know why I love it as much as I do, but that’s the best kind of love. A little mystery to get the better of understanding.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Diaz’s imagination in these prose poems, this chapbook in which he shares a surreal world and yet, one that’s not unlike our own. With characters that range widely and with warm familiarity, the poet shows a distinctive new voice, one that I find myself returning to.

[Samantha Terrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fire Eater – an imaginative prose poetry chapbook by Jose Hernandez Diaz – plays at entrapment in pieces such as “The Man and the Leaves,” and escapism in, for instance, “The Target.” Overall, it can be summed up in the hopeful phrase, “Nothing could stop him now,” which Hernandez Diaz repeats as the closing line in both “The Longboard” and “The Moon.” In Parts Two and Three, we meet the very relatable characters, “a man in a Pink Floyd shirt,” and “a skeleton,” who we can surmise is Hernandez Diaz himself, or any one of us. Of these, I particularly enjoyed “The Skeleton at the Pier.” Five stars, for what is truly a master class in manuscript construction with impeccable flow from beginning to end.

[Deborah Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

These surreal poems got under my skin. They are deceptively short and playful. You could read and enjoy the whole chapbook in an hour but days later I would find myself thinking about one and go back to reread. This is why my copy no longer lies flat. My favorite changed each time but the Beautiful Bird and The Skeleton and the Piano crept into my heart and refuse to leave.

[Elliott Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dazzling, uber creative prose poems - normally one graf long - that tell fantastical stories about LA that revolve around smoking/not smoking, long boards, some surfing, skeletons, and a dude in a Nirvana t-shirt.

[Chase! · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Only one thought remained: none of the stars are the same.” Prose poems that hum and echo off of each other; each a bit surreal and quotidian. The whole collection is lightly funny and deeply affecting.

[Dani Kass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love absurd stories, but these were just a bit too short for me to get into. May just be because I have a harder time connecting with poetry, but I wanted these to be fleshed out into short stories or maybe even drawings or videos.

[Carla]

A delightful poetry chapbook, in which the poet adopts a variety of personas— from fire-eater to skeleton — to explore creativity. These circus-like creations sing, write poems, dance, mime and party, and finally, after a “last puff of smoke,” ride home on a motorcycle.

[Peter Gaunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fire Eater

A very imaginative bunch of poems. I liked the imagery especially the ones about the skeleton. Some of them made me laugh . The imagery was very clear and precise to me. The sentences were simple and very descriptive.

[Austin Shirey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this! Surreal and fantastic, yet somehow down to earth.

[Sheldon Compton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some wonderful, some good, and some jotted afterthoughts

Hit and miss but mostly hit near the end. Missed more near the beginning. Also, I thought about Russell Edson a lot.

[Edward Vidaurre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hernandez, a student of poetry and prose makes a splash with this collection. He’s paying attention to the masters.

[Kane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wacky and enjoyable

[Emma Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Fire Eater" by José Hernández Díaz is a poetry collection that approaches the art form with a unique perspective, treating poetry more as an artistic image than a conventional short story with a clear point. While this experimental approach may appeal to some readers, others may find themselves yearning for more cohesive narratives or themes throughout the collection.

One standout poem from the collection is "The Man and the Antlers," which captivates with its surreal imagery and thought-provoking themes. Drawing parallels to the Netflix series "Sweet Tooth," the poem explores the sudden development of antlers on the speaker's head as an adult. As someone familiar with American Sign Language and the experiences of individuals who become deaf later in life, the speaker's "Why me?" reaction to this unexpected transformation resonates on a deeply personal level. The poem tactilizes surrealism as a means of grappling with the complexities of adapting to a new condition later in life.

However, while "The Man and the Antlers" offers a compelling exploration of surrealism and identity, it also leaves room for interpretation and expansion. The reviewer imagines a potential continuation of the narrative, suggesting a direction that emphasizes environmental activism and self-sufficiency. This critique highlights the poem's potential to inspire further reflection and creativity in its readers, but it also speaks to a desire for more depth and development within the collection as a whole.

Overall, "The Fire Eater" presents an intriguing exploration of poetry as visual art and surreal storytelling. While some readers may appreciate its experimental nature and thought-provoking themes, others may find themselves wishing for more coherence and depth in the collection.

[Rodney Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning debut chapbook. I found myself reading and rereading these prose poems, relishing their invention and puzzling through their originality. Highly recommended.

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of Jose Hernandez Diaz’s The Fire Eater for review purposes. As always, this review reflects only my honest thoughts on the book.*

The experience of reading this chapbook is, in a word, surreal. To be entirely honest, the collection didn’t quite hit me the first time around. But I was compelled to return to The Fire Eater two more times, and I’m sure those won’t be the last.

*full review at Pencils & Pages*